


About Money

by Aleanid



Series: About Us [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:53:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29953002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aleanid/pseuds/Aleanid
Summary: “You can’t have it both ways, Keiji,” Tsukishima cuts him off. “If your salary makes you inferior to them, then it also means you think I’m below you.”“You know it’s not that simple,” Akaashi says with a frown.“Whatever,” Tsukishima says, standing and heading for the door. “I’m glad we’ve established I’m at the bottom of the boyfriend hierarchy. It’s good to clarify what I mean to you.”“Tsukki, you can’t just leave like-” Bokuto tries.“I’m sleeping in my room,” Tsukishima cuts in, terse. “Goodnight.”Akaashi lets out a sigh, closing his eyes as he composes himself.“That went well,” Kuroo says, running a hand through his hair.-Navigating money in a relationship is hard enough. It gets worse when there's a big gap in income and there are four people in the equation.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Tsukishima Kei, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou/Tsukishima Kei, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Series: About Us [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2202972
Comments: 15
Kudos: 224





	About Money

**Author's Note:**

> For context, this story is set in a fairly canon-compliant universe where Bokuto is an athlete who's earning quite a lot in sponsorships, Kuroo is a lawyer specializing in sports contracts, Akaashi is an editor and Tsukishima is a researcher at a museum.

“Akaashi! Pleeeasse just let me,” Bokuto whines, following his boyfriend into the kitchen. 

“For the millionth time, no,” Akaashi sighs, his hand trailing softly against Tsukishima’s back as he peeks around the blond’s shoulder to see what he’s making for dinner.

Kuroo looks up from the contract he’s reading. 

“Still a no-go?” he asks Bokuto.

“He won’t budge!” Bokuto complains, throwing his hands in the air.

“Ok, hold on, let me give it a go,” Kuroo chuckles. 

He stands and moves to wrap his arms around the shortest of his boyfriends from behind, kissing his cheek sweetly. “Keiji,” he starts with a drawl. “Sweetheart. Darling. Light of my life.”

“That’s not going to work,” Akaashi warns and Tsukishima snickers.

“It would mean the world if you’d let us do this.” 

“Tetsurou,” Akaashi says with a little smirk. “Babe. Hon. Apple of my eye.” He pauses. “Still no.” 

“Worth a try,” Kuroo says with a laugh and goes back to his seat.

Bokuto makes an annoyed sound then turns to Tsukishima with an exasperated look.

“Don’t look at me,” the blond says, raising an eyebrow. “I can’t afford to make that kind of offer.” 

“Which is why you’re my only ally in this,” Akaashi says, giving the blond a pat on the butt before moving to sit next to Kuroo.

Tsukishima pauses in his chopping and looks thoughtful for a moment.

“Actually, how about this?” he says, smirking at Akaashi. “I give you _my_ crappy car and let them buy _me_ the fancy, new one.” 

“Traitor,” Akaashi answers, with a small shake of his head. Then he turns more serious. “Guys, I swear I appreciate that you’re offering,” he tells Bokuto and Kuroo. “It just doesn’t feel right to accept.” 

“But Akaashi,” Bokuto whines again. The younger man just raises an eyebrow in response.

Bokuto lets out a resigned grunt. Clearly, Akaashi isn’t receptive to this conversation right now.

“This isn’t over,” Kuroo says, smirking but letting the topic drop for the time being.

__

“Keiji,” Kuroo says quietly, a few nights later. 

“Yeah?” 

They’re curled up together on the couch watching a movie, with Bokuto and Tsukishima on the other.

“About the car...” he starts. 

“Urgh,” Akaashi groans. “Haven’t we been through this enough already?” When he turns to look at his boyfriend, he finds him looking serious this time. 

“No, we haven’t,” Kuroo answers with a little shake of his head. “Look, you need a car. You want _this_ car. We can afford it. So why can’t we just buy it?”

“You don’t get it…” Akaashi starts, pulling out of Kuroo’s arms so he can turn and look at him properly. Bokuto pauses the movie as he tunes in on the conversation. “It’s needlessly extravagant,” he says. “I can make do with something purely functional and, with my salary, I can’t afford extravagant even if I wanted to treat myself, you know? So letting you guys buy it for me… It feels like I’m taking advantage.”

“You’re not, though,” Bokuto cuts in. “We just think you deserve something nice.” 

“Clean the bathroom then,” Akaashi answers. “Or take me out to dinner. A car is way more than you guys being nice.”

“It’s not more expensive than our cars,” Kuroo says. “It’s been a month since your car gave up on life and it doesn’t make sense for you to keep borrowing our cars indefinitely. This is the car you want and it’s not like it’s unreasonably expensive when you consider our combined incomes. There’s really no reason for you to keep opposing this. Unless you have some kind of ethical objection about indulging in the occasional extravagance?” 

“It’s not that,” Akaashi says. “It just… I guess I feel like, if I’m going to indulge, it should be on my own merit. I should be earning the money myself.”

“But babe, I earn more money than I know what to do with,” Bokuto says. “And it’s not like you work any less hard than I do. Money isn’t a problem. It seems silly that we’re not using it for this when it’s something you need.” 

“I agree,” Kuroo says. “This isn’t some show of power. We just want you to get the car you want.”

“I don’t like how one-sided that is,” Akaashi mutters. “It’s not like I can return the favour.”

“No one is asking you to,” Kuroo says with a frown. “Is it...” He hesitates and glances at Tsukishima. “Is it a commitment thing? Are you worried about what happens if you accept and we break up?” 

Tsukishima flinches almost imperceptibly and Bokuto tightens his arms around him in response. Now a year into their relationship, it’s become clear that Tsukishima is the most sensitive when it comes to mentions of both breaking up or making things permanent. The thought of either tends to make him edgy.

“No, I’m not thinking about that at all,” Akaashi reassures in a hurry. “It’s just… How am I ever supposed to drive that car and not feel inferior? It would be like a constant reminder that I don’t measure up to you guys.”

“Is that how we’re measuring our worth in this relationship? Our salary?” Tsukishima cuts in quietly for the first time. 

“That’s not what I said,” Akaashi frowns. 

“Really? Cause that’s what it sounded like to me,” Tsukishima says, pulling out of Bokuto’s hold. “If your income makes you inferior to them, then what does that make me?” 

“Kei, that’s not what I-”

“You can’t have it both ways, Keiji,” Tsukishima cuts him off. “If your salary makes you inferior to them, then it also means you think I’m below you.”

“You know it’s not that simple,” Akaashi says with a frown.

“Whatever,” Tsukishima says, standing and heading for the door. “I’m glad we’ve established I’m at the bottom of the boyfriend hierarchy. It’s good to clarify what I mean to you.” 

“Tsukki, you can’t just leave like-” Bokuto tries.

“I’m sleeping in my room,” Tsukishima cuts in, terse. “Goodnight.”

Akaashi lets out a sigh, closing his eyes as he composes himself. 

“That went well,” Kuroo says, running a hand through his hair.

“I’ll talk to him,” Akaashi says.

He finds Tsukishima in his room, the one that’s hardly ever used these days, not unless the blond needs some time to himself. 

“Should I bow?” Tsukishima says with his eyes narrowed when he spots Akaashi. “Kneel at your feet, maybe? Wouldn’t want to forget my place.”

“Are you really throwing a temper tantrum over this?” Akaashi asks, eyes narrowed right back as he leans on the doorframe with his arms crossed. “You know that’s not what I meant.” 

“Do I?” Tsukishima says. “Look at me, Keiji. Look at how I’m dressed.” 

Akaashi frowns as he runs his eyes up the blond’s body, trying to understand what he means. He takes in the designer jeans, the leather belt, the cashmere sweater.

“I needed new pants for work and _you_ insisted I let Bokuto take me shopping. Somehow, I ended up with a whole wardrobe that I could never have afforded on my own. Does that make me a mooch? A charity case? Should I feel ashamed or inferior because of it?” 

“That was different.”

“How?” Tsukishima asks, an eyebrow raised. 

“That was a few thousand dollars!” Keiji exclaims, raising his hands and moving to sit on the bed. “This is a _car._ A _fancy_ car.”

“So? Put it this way, if you earned the kind of money Kuroo does, would you buy yourself the car?” Tsukishima asks, sitting next to him.

“I mean, I’d probably think about whether the price was really justified but… Yeah, I guess I would,” Akaashi says.

“And if you earned the kind of money Bokuto does, you probably wouldn’t even blink at the cost.”

“Bokuto could afford ten without it making a dent,” Akaashi agrees with a slight snicker.

“So you agree then that it’s a car we, the collective we, can afford,” Tsukishima says. “Does it really make you feel inferior that you couldn’t afford it on your own?”

“That was a poor choice of words,” Akaashi says with a sigh. “I just… I never wanted to be the guy who lets his partner, or in this case _partners_ , pay for everything. I don’t want you guys thinking I’m only in this for the money.” 

“Do you think I’m only in it for the money?” Tsukishima asks.

“Not for a second.”

Tsukishima pauses.

“Keiji, you have to stop thinking of it as _their_ money,” Tsukishima says.

“It _is_ their money,” Akaashi says.

“In the sense that it comes from their paycheck? Sure. But we’re a family, you know? In it together for the long haul. Do you think that stops at the money? You just haven’t had that moment yet where you stop thinking of things in terms of mine and theirs.”

Akaashi thinks about that as Tsukishima’s hand finds his. “When was it for you, then?”

The corner of Tsukishima’s lip lifts into the slightest of smiles. “Remember when I was offered that promotion?” 

Akaashi raises an eyebrow. “The one you turned down? Almost a year ago?”

Tsukishima nods. “You remember how long it took me to come to the decision?”

“I remember,” Akaashi agrees with a nod. “It came with a big pay raise but also a bunch of responsibilities you weren’t interested in.”

“Exactly,” Tsukishima. “One night, it was bothering me so much I couldn’t sleep. Bokuto found me sitting out on the couch and he said to me: ‘Babe, we don’t need the money. Forget about the raise and do what makes you happy.’ 

“And that was it. Just how easily he said it. It wasn’t ‘ _You_ don’t need the money,’ or ‘I can take care of you.’ It was ‘ _We_ don’t need the money.’”

He pauses to let that sink in. 

“The reason we keep pushing the issue of the car,” Tsukishima continues after a moment, “isn’t because we’re desperate to give you a present or because they’re taking pity on you or something. It’s because there isn’t any reason you shouldn’t have it. You need a car and we can afford it, Keiji.”

“I-” Akaashi starts, then swallows and tries again, eyes wide and a little pale. “I’ve never considered spending that much money on _anything_ in my whole life,” he says quietly.

Tsukishima chuckles. “It might take some getting used to the idea that you can,” he agrees, pulling Akaashi onto his lap. “You might want to do it soon though,” he whispers in his ear, starting to trail a line of kisses down Akaashi’s neck, “because our shower really isn’t big enough for four people and we should really renovate the bathroom. If you keep refusing the car, I’m going to have to deny myself the whirlpool tub I’ve been eyeing on principle.” His voice dips into something more seductive. “And that would be a shame.”

Akaashi groans quietly and moves to straddle Tsukishima before pulling him into a lingering kiss. A weight feels lifted from his shoulders and, with his boyfriend’s lips against his, his mood is quickly shifting toward aroused.

“You know I was never actually upset, right?” Tsukishima asks when Akaashi moves the blond’s glasses to the bedside table before removing his sweater and throwing it on the floor.

“There's a better way to go about things if you're just making a point,” Akaashi says, rolling his eyes. “Sometimes you’re a little brat, you know that?” he says, leaning in for another kiss. 

“Well, nice and reasonable weren’t getting the job done,” Tsukishima says when they break away again. He lets out a pleased hum when Akaashi removes his own shirt and he leans in to lick a nipple. “Figured I’d give bratty a shot.” 

Akaashi rocks in his lap and they both groan, feeling each other harden at the friction.

“There’s something else we should talk about,” Tsukishima says, voice breathy as Akaashi’s hand trails down his body and slides over the front of his jeans to palm him through the expensive denim.

“Now?” Akaashi says, voice sultry as he licks a wet stripe against Tsukishima’s collarbone before moving his lips up to suck at his neck. 

“Yes,” he breathes out, even as he rolls his hips trying to get more friction. “About the groceries.” 

“Oh my god,” Akaashi chuckles against his neck. “I’m three seconds away from taking off your pants and you want to talk about groceries?” 

“Keiji,” Tsukishima whines, rolling them so the brunet is now lying with his back on the bed and kissing him soundly. “Can we please stop splitting the cost?” he says, as he moves down the brunet’s body, biting at his toned stomach. “I’d happily buy all our groceries for the rest of our lives if it means we can stop keeping track. It’s such a pain.” 

Akaashi moans, mostly hard now as Tsushima runs his teeth against his clothed erection, nimble fingers already working on undoing his belt. 

“Shit,” Akaashi says as his pants and boxers get tugged off in one practiced move.

“So?” Tsukishima asks, one eyebrow raised, his hands at Akaashi’s bare hips.

“Yeah, okay. Fine,” Akaashi agrees, watching hungrily as Tsukishima licks his lips, his eyes trailing down to where Akaashi’s cock is lying pink and hard against his stomach. “Now hurry up and make me come.” 

Tsukishima smirks and wastes no time going down on him. 

__

Kuroo takes one look at them when they get back and says, “Shit. We all know you give crazy good head but don’t tell me you actually convinced him with a blowjob?”

“I’m not that easy,” Akaashi says, dropping back into Kuroo’s lap and giving him a quick kiss. “He convinced me _then_ gave me a blowjob.” 

“Wait, so we’re getting the car then?” Bokuto perks up, pulling at Tsukishima when he gets close until the blond is straddling his lap.

“Yes,” Akaashi confirms. “We can get the car.” 

Bokuto beams at him then turns his attention to Tsukishima. “Hey, so if you’re giving out blowjobs…” he says, his hands already running over the blond’s ass. 

“What’s in it for me?” Tsukishima asks, deadpan.

“Oh baby,” Bokuto smirks, then pulls him into a dirty kiss. 

His hand disappears between their bodies and it doesn’t take much more before Tsukishima whispers, “Take me to bed.” 

Bokuto lets out a triumphant cheer then stands, bringing Tsukishima up with him, his hands braced under his knees. 

“I swear to god, if you drop me,” Tsukishima says as Bokuto walks them out of the room.

“When have I ever?”

Akaashi watches them leave, then shakes his head. “I still don’t understand how we don’t wear him out,” he says. 

Kuroo chuckles. “Trust me, Tsukki just keeps going.” 

Kuroo raises the remote to queue up the next episode of the show he’d been watching and Akaashi snuggles into him with a little smile. 

“You’re more than just post-orgasm happy,” Kuroo comments, wrapping his arms around Akaashi and kissing the top of his head.

“Tetsu. He said: ‘We’re in it for the long haul,’” Akaashi says, hiding his growing smile against Kuroo’s shoulder. “He said he’d buy groceries _for the rest of our lives._ ”

“Really?” Kuroo asks, tightening his hold on Akaashi and smiling widely. “Is that what convinced you?” 

“Maybe a little,” Akaashi admits.

“Ah man, when Bokuto finds out, he’s going to be unbearable,” Kuroo laughs. “He’s not going to let up until we agree to let him go out and buy rings.” 

“Would that be such a bad thing?” Akaashi says, kissing Kuroo lightly. 

“Keiji,” Kuroo laughs, burying his face against the younger’s neck. “Don’t give me ideas.” 

Akaashi kisses him again and Kuroo’s hand strays up his thigh. 

“Are you up for round two by any chance,” Kuroo asks, voice low and kissing him with more intent. 

Akaashi sighs into it but pulls back, a little reluctant. “I’m actually pretty tired,” he admits. “I don’t mind if you want to go join them, though.”

“No, it’s fine.” Kuroo brings his hand back to Akaashi’s hip and resettles them so they can sit more comfortably on the couch. “I’m just as happy to stay here and cuddle. Just don’t be surprised when you wake up to Kei moaning his pretty little head off.”

Akaashi laughs. “How is that different than any other day?” 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> To anyone waiting on the next chapter of Bite Me, it'll be out soon! 
> 
> Also, I'm working on a Minecraft/YouTuber AU (Haikyuu Fandom) and I'm struggling to figure out usernames for everyone. If you guys want to give me suggestions, feel free!


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